Iwanttogo

Hi All,

I'm currently having trouble deciding doing either:
a. combo trip paris and taking rountrip to barcelona. splitting 4 days and 3 days.
OR
b. explore paris/france for 7 days and doing mini day trips to other parts of the country-such as- versailles, dijon, and other recommendations?

my buddy and i prefer to take the rail and avoid renting a car/driving. we like strolling small towns, good food, mix of city and scenic and something authentic.

would greatly appreciate your suggestions!!!

Flyboy

I could easily do that as a two-city trip, but I've seen Paris many times. If this is your first trip, seven days is not too long to spend in Paris. That is particularly true if you are planning some day trips. (Keep in mind that adding Barcelona will consume essentially a day of your time between packing, checking out, transiting, checking in, unpacking, etc.) It may be cheaper and more efficient to fly, but you'll have to check that part out.

If you're staying in Paris, add Chartres to your list of possible day trips; it's an easy train ride from Montparnasse station. It's true that you can spend much of a day at Versailles if you choose, but it's not really what I would classify as a "day trip away from Paris" -- any more than visiting the Louvre, which can also take as much time as you choose.

Dukey

You could do both and flying between the two would be faster but the elipsos overnight would have you leaving Paris Austerlitz around 7:00 PM and arriving Barcelona Sants the next morning around 8 or so and save a night in a hotel.

IF this is the first trip to Paris I would suggest sticking to France and save Barcelona for another time.

You can easily take day (rail) trips to places such as Chartres and you could also take a train (fast TGV) to Tours in an hour and see a couple of the chateaux (without a car if necessary) in a long Loire day if you didn't want to stay overnight.

Versailles is an easy public transport trip from Paris itself.

You could, depending on your interests, spend at least four days in Paris without getting the least bit bored.

ira

Hi Iw,

I wouldn't give up 3 days in Paris to go anywhere but Venice.

However, if you really have to go to Barcelona the Elipsos train is a good way.

www.voyages-sncf.com has PREMS fares in T4, 2cl berths for 67E each way.

ekscrunchy

Ira, when were you last in Barcelona?

ira

Hi ek,

Why? Is it better than Paris or Venice?

Miro, Picasso and Gaudi don't appeal to me.

I'm not interested in fashionable clothes, fashionable music or fashionable people, and I'm not going to Spain to visit a beach.

ekscrunchy

Ira, my point is that since you have never been to Barcelona (have you ever been to Spain?) you are not giving an informed opinion based on personal experience. On many of your posts, you make statements about places that you have never been and I find that off-putting at times. Although you have made a number of trips to Europe over the years, as compared to many posters you have not spent much in-depth time as far as I can tell. Since many readers seem to take you as their gospel when it comes to traveling on the continent, (your expertise in deciphering train schedules in unparalled here) I think it would be helpful if, when you give an opinion, you let us know whether or not you have actually been to a place or are passing along information that you have read or have heard... just my own thoughts, perhaps better left unsaid. No offense intended.

Is Barcelona BETTER than Paris or Venice..not sure what that means, really. I like it a lot!